ALBANY, N.Y. – After three-straight games at home, the University at Albany women's soccer team kicks off a two-game road swing at Maine this weekend.
 
Game Info
Sunday, October 2 at Maine, 12:00 pm
Live Stats | AE.tv
 
Leading the Pack

• UAlbany is 1-4-0 on the road this season; Maine is 3-0-2 at home
• Maine leads the America East in scoring offense and scoring defense
• Sahara Zingano leads the America East in shots taken and shots per game
• Maine's Saylor Clark shares the league lead in goals scored
• Maine's Kira Kutzinski leads the America East in goals-against average

Scouting Maine
Statistically, Maine boats the top-performing offense and defense in the America East this season, averaging 2.10 goals per game while allowing 0.90, for a scoring margin of 1.20, more than one full goal greater than second-place Binghamton's 0.19 differential average.  The Black Bears have a trio of 4-0 shutout victories: Saint Peter's in their season opener, a non-conference matchup with Bryant, and their second of two matches against Holy Cross.  Maine has the best overall record in the America East, by winning percentage, at 5-2-3, but is third in the conference standings through three games with five points, behind UAlbany's seven and Binghamton's six.  Maine forward Saylor Clarke holds a share of the league lead with six goals scored this season, and four other Black Bears have scored at least twice.  Maine went 3-7-4 in 2021, and was picked to finish eighth in the 2022 America East Preseason Coaches' Poll.  UAlbany is 10-10-2 since 2001 against Maine, but has won each of the last eight games in the series, by a total margin of 20-3, including two matches in Orono.
 
Last Time vs. Maine
October 3, 2021 | UAlbany secured its first America East victory of the season, defeating visiting Maine 1-0 and ending a streak of three-straight 1-1, double-overtime draws.  Jasmine Colbert scored her sixth goal of the season, in the 33rd minute, off a setup from Sophia Eifler at the top of the Maine box.  The team also celebrated their annual Pride game, an extension of the America East's Spread Respect initiative, to raise awareness about diversity and inclusion in collegiate athletics.
 
Last Time Out
UAlbany hosted America East newcomer Bryant for the first time as conference opponents for the team's 2022 Spread Respect game.  The Great Danes scored first when freshman Ashley Ladner converted a setup from Joanna Van Royen for her first career goal in the ninth minute.  Bryant responded in the 30th, tying the game at one.  Neither team scored after halftime and the game ended in a 1-1 tie, despite UAlbany holding a 14-9 advantage in shots, a 4-1 advantage in corner kicks, and a 57%-43% advantage in total possession.
 
Around the America East
Through three games in the conference schedule, UAlbany remains atop the America East standings with seven points.  Binghamton is unbeaten in two conference games so far and is second in the standings with six points, followed by Maine with five points and New Hampshire with four points.  UMass Lowell is fifth with three points, followed by Bryant and defending champion Vermont, each of whom have two points.  Finally, UMBC and NJIT have earned one point to round out the standings.
 
Sunday's America East Games

• Binghamton at Vermont, 12:00 pm
• UMass Lowell at NJIT, 12:00 pm
• UAlbany at Maine, 12:00 pm
• UMBC at Bryant, 2:00 pm

Common Opponents

• New Hampshire
  • UAlbany: September 18 at New Hampshire, W, 2-1
  • Maine: September 29 at New Hampshire, T, 1-1
• Bryant
  • UAlbany: September 29 vs. Bryant, T, 1-1
  • Maine: August 28 vs. Bryant, W, 4-0

Defensive Player of the Week
Megan Hart earned her first-ever America East weekly award following her performance in the Great Danes' 1-0 victory over America East preseason favorite UMass Lowell.  Hart recorded five total saves against the River Hawks, including one on a penalty kick in the 10th minute, and earned her first career shutout, powering the Great Danes' second conference win of the season.
 
Rookie of the Week III
Emily Jozak won her third America East Rookie of the Week award in four weeks following her game-winning goal against preseason America East favorite UMass Lowell.  When UAlbany drew a corner kick in the 56th minute, Jozak successfully navigated a scrum of UMass Lowell defenders to redirect Tiffany Bernot's serve into the back of the River Hawks' net.  The goal was the only score of the game, giving UAlbany a 1-0 victory.
 
Offensive Player of the Week
Junior midfielder Olivia Piraino had a career game against New Hampshire to start the 2022 conference season.  Piraino scored a career-high two goals, one in each half, to power the Great Danes to victory over the 2021 America East finalists.  Her efforts earned Piraino her first-ever America East Offensive Player of the Week honor.
 
Road Win
In their fifth opportunity of the season, the UAlbany women's soccer team secured their first victory of the year away from home.  The Great Danes downed 2021 America East finalist New Hampshire in Wildcat Stadium by a final score of 2-1 behind two goals from junior midfielder Olivia Piraino.
 
Rookie of the Week II
Emily Jozak won her second-straight America East Rookie of the Week award after scoring one goal in UAlbany's 4-1 victory over Wagner at home.  Jozak brought her goals total to four on the season, maintaining her team lead and ranking tied for third among all America East scorers.
 
Rookie of the Week I
Following her big game against Rider, Emily Jozak was named America East Rookie of the Week.  Jozak's three goals matched the program's single-game record for goals and points in the Division I era, matching the mark set in 2017 by Mariah Williams against Maine.  Jozak is UAlbany's first Rookie of the Week winner since Cassie Coster was named Rookie and Defensive Player last October.
 
Record-Setting
The UAlbany women's soccer program record book required rewriting following the team's first victory of 2022, a 3-1 win over visiting Rider.  Freshman Emily Jozak recorded the program's second hat trick of the Division I era, matching Mariah Williams' single-game records with three goals and six points.  Additionally, the team's 29 total shots against the Broncs were tied for the sixth-highest in a single game in Division I program history, matching two previous efforts in 2019 against Maine and 2008 against UMBC.
 
First Win
Five games into her career as head coach at UAlbany, her first head coaching stint, Sade Ayinde recorded her first victory.  The Great Danes fell behind at home against Rider 1-0 but rallied and maintained their offensive pressure to score three times in 10 in-game minutes to knock off the Broncs 3-1.
 
Breaking Through
The Great Danes started the season slowly, dropping each of their first four games without scoring a goal in any.  In game five, at home against then 3-0-1 Rider, UAlbany finally found the back of the net in the 40th minute when Sahara Zingano connected with freshman Emily Jozak for Jozak's first career goal.  The score ended a run of more than 400 in-game minutes without a goal dating back to the final game of the 2021 season at Vermont in the America East semifinal round.
 
Picked Fifth
UAlbany was picked to finish fifth in the 2022 America East Preseason Coaches' Poll, after finishing the 2021 season fourth and advancing to the America East semifinal round.  It is the second-straight season in which the Great Danes were picked fifth.  UMass Lowell narrowly edged defending regular-season and conference champion Vermont for first-place in this season's poll.
 
Home Field
UAlbany has been excellent within the confines of Tom & Mary Casey Stadium for the better part of the last decade, boasting a 39-18-6 record at home since the start of the 2015 season, the year of the program's first America East title.  The Great Danes went 4-3-1 at home in 2021, and between the 2018 and 2019 seasons, UAlbany was 14-1-3, including a 2019 season in which they gave up just eight goals at home.
 
First Year
Sade Ayinde was hired on February 16, 2022 as UAlbany's 14th head women's soccer coach, and eighth during the program's Division I era.  She steps in for Leigh Howard, who oversaw the team for two seasons before moving on to work with the Special Olympics.  Ayinde was a standout at Maryland during her collegiate career, scoring 16 goals with 17 assists in 79 appearances over four seasons.  Her previous collegiate coaching stops include Stony Brook and, most recently, Yale, and she also works with the US National program.
 
Game Over
Adopted starting this season, regular-season matches will no longer go into extra time when tied at the conclusion of regulation.  The regular-seasons games will conclude after 90 minutes of play.  Overtime and shootouts will return starting in the postseason.
 
Next: UAlbany visits UMBC on October 9.